Purely as a game, I sometimes try to do the old six word review of things. I attempted it for the series against Sri Lanka and came up with: Sri Lanka abysmal, India intimidating. It told me everything about the series and I had a word left! The home team was that bad.

Admittedly, India began overwhelming favourites but teams have visited the lovely island as favourites before and discovered opposition they sometimes hadn't anticipated. There were always, certainly in the last fifteen years, players who could take the game away from you. There were tough players, others with an air of mystery around them, some who played exotic shots and bowled at unique angles. This time there were none. It is not good for cricket because Sri Lanka has given us some very fine talents who inevitably resided within modest personalities.

It is easy therefore to belittle India's performance but that wouldn't be fair. You play the opposition you are provided and if there is a gulf between the two teams in ability, you make sure that is reflected in the scorecards. And sure it was. Each time, India racked up a lead in excess of 300, the margins of victory were the kind you would expect if a heavyweight boxer entered the ring with a middleweight. To that extent, India did what they could and while playing an opponent who hardly throws a punch back can lead to bad habits, India dominated like the better side is meant to.

Shikhar Dhawan made the most of the opportunity as did Cheteshwar Pujara. One punched with a smile, the other made incisions with narrowed eyes. And all the batsmen partook of the feast on offer. Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 17 wickets and scored runs fluently and until a headmasterly approach to the game took out Ravindra Jadeja, he had fun too. And if Hardik Pandya had been asked to choose a debut series, he couldn't have picked a better one. There is something about him and I hope it stays that way as fame envelops him. If you like fame too much it isn't your best companion as doubtlessly he will be told by wise heads. Kuldeep Yadav impressed too and the fact that batsmen don't seem to pick him means captains will always be tempted to pick him. India will have some tough choices to make in the days ahead.

If you are a cricket lover, it is difficult not to be carried away by the manner in which the ball leaves Mohammed Shami's hands and makes its journey to the batsman. The seam is upright and proud and the ball reaches the bat at a nippy pace. Shami probably bowled too little and admitted in an interview that he was the support bowler in these conditions. That may be understating things but I do hope he thinks he is Ashwin when the side tours more seam-friendly lands.

But for all that, the most dramatic performance for me came from a quiet man whose deeds even modern scoreboards haven't found ways to reflect. Wriddhiman Saha's wicket-keeping in the second Test was the performance of the series for me.

Sri Lanka come to India this winter and I hope they have more to offer. Karunaratne, Mendis, Mathews and Chandimal are far better players than they let themselves be at most times but it is the bowling they need to sort. Sandakan must play everytime but how do they replace Herath? I wish they can cajole a few more months out of fingers that have twirled so long because otherwise their batsmen will always have a mountain of runs in front of them.

The one-dayers will be more competitive but I'm afraid Test cricket needs to come to grips with the crisis that confronts it. Nobody came to watch and when one team looks like a juggernaut and the other a meek figure waiting to be run over, it doesn't bode well.